Smithers Epson White Paper

White Paper
Sustainability in Label Printing
Prepared for: Epson
May 2021
Smithers – Epson White Paper – Sustainability in label printing
Contents
0. Executive summary.....................................................................................................................4
1. Label printing market and trends ................................................................................................8
Current market and future forecast performance................................................................................................................................................. 9
What are the key drivers and trends? ................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Market drivers for adoption of digital print for packaging .................................................................................................................................. 10
2. On Demand Colour Inkjet.......................................................................................................... 12
Print-on-demand...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
On demand colour printing vs thermal transfer printing ........................................................................................................................................ 13
On demand colour printing .................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Thermal transfer printing..................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
What drives the adoption of on demand colour printing? ...................................................................................................................................... 14
3. Sustainability trends ................................................................................................................. 15
Energy ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Waste ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Ink and Consumables ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Storage & Transportation ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 24
Release liner ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25
4.0 Case studies ............................................................................................................................... 26
Case study 1 – food and beverage ........................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Case study 2 – pharmaceutical ................................................................................................................................................................................ 27
Page | 2 © Copyright Smithers Information Ltd 2021

Case study 3 – chemicals ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 28

Case study 4 – retail ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30
Case study 5 – warehouse ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Case study 6 – hospitality ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 32
5.0 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................ 34

0. Executive summary
This white paper will explore the different label printing available to brands and the relative sustainability impacts of each process to help label
users select the best processes and technologies for both their bottom line and the planet. We assessed several alternative label printing options
available to brands. These include outsourcing to a commercial printer, printing in house using a thermal transfer process or printing in house
using new colour inkjet technology:
Definitions of label printing types
Commercially printed label defined as printed by a for profit printer on commercial printing presses (analogue and digital) and
Commercially printed label
transported to point of application.
Thermal transfer printed label defined as printed for use on blank base stock using one or more thermal transfer colours at point of
Thermal transfer printed label
application.
Commercial plus thermal transfer Commercial plus thermal transfer printed label defined as commercially printed base label as above with variable data applied by a
printed label thermal transfer printer at point of application.
Inhouse colour inkjet printed label defined as printed for use on blank base stock using desktop colour inkjet printers at point of
Inhouse colour inkjet printed label
application.
Figure E.1 Definitions of label printing types

While still a very small part of the label printing market,

in-house inkjet label printing is particularly well suited
to:
✓ Brands that have relatively low label orders p.

year (Brands that have relatively low label orders per
year in the range 100,000 to 1 million, with larger
volumes possibly requiring multiple printers.)
✓ Brands that have requirements for high degrees
of variable data and personalisation
✓ Brands that value speed of fulfilment
✓ Brands that are subject to stringent and evolving
regulatory environments
In addition to achieving their business objectives,

brands and their end customers are also working hard
to find sustainable packaging solutions and lower their
carbon footprint. While many brands prioritise
packaging as a key focus area for improving
sustainability, label printing can be overlooked and yet
selecting the right label printing process for your
business could achieve significant savings in energy and
waste.
Figure E.1 Printing process map

Smithers undertook research to compare and evaluate the sustainability impact of different print process options and how they can be utilised by
brands to help achieve their sustainability goals. In order to assess it, we surveyed brands using a range of commercial, thermal transfer and
inhouse colour inkjet printing processes and analysed the sustainability impact from label stock to application across 5 key categories: energy,
waste, consumables, storage & transportation, release liner. This white paper summarises the findings of this research.
Commercial plus thermal Inhouse colour inkjet printed

Commercially printed label Thermal transfer printed label
transfer printed label label
Energy
Waste
Consumables
Storage & transportation
Release liner
Legend: negative neutral positive
Figure E.3 Sustainability impact overview of label printing types
Using inkjet to print labels inhouse could have significant commercial and operational benefits but also demonstrable environmental benefits
including energy, waste, and consumables, which are indispensable for companies to meet UN sustainable development goals:
- SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Inkjet is a far less energy intensive process and can use just 1% of that energy for the same area printed.
- SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
Inkjet printing can provide cost efficiencies and margin improvements for label users.
- SDG 9 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure

Innovative inkjet technology can reduce waste of label materials and stock obsolescence.
- SDG12 Responsible Consumption and Production
There are significant reduction waste materials (e.g. ribbons) during inkjet printing vs thermal transfer printing.

1. Label printing market and trends
The label printing market is undergoing significant change as brands and printers look to leverage new digital technologies to respond to growing
consumer demand for personalisation and just in time delivery. As a result the digital label printing market is growing rapidly at the expense of
analogue printing processes. Brands are increasingly aware of the benefits of an inhouse label printing solution for improving speed, flexibility and
quality while decreasing waste, obsolence and delays.
The label market is evolving to favour quicker turn around times and shorter runs. Changes in consumer demand patterns due to the growing
number of smaller households boosts the number of products needing labels, while the growth in e-commerce boosts demand for transit (and
return) labels. Increasing regulatory pressure has led to growth in some regions. This has accelerated the move to shorter production runs as
brands respond to personalisation and customisation trends that have placed greater emphasis on the flexibility of printer and converter
operations and on the presses themselves. Therefore, label printers are introducing new production systems that allow them to print labels more
efficiently and cost-effectively within a highly competitive market, while end-users are looking for shorter lead times and better customer service
from their suppliers.
Global label market by print process (million sqm)
Analogue
Digital
Thermal Transfer
Figure 1.1 Global label market by print process (million sqm)

Current market and future forecast performance

The global market for label printing has been growing steadily from 2014 to 2019, at rates of 4.8% in value and of 5.2% in volume (A4 prints). In
2019 the market is worth $41.02 billion on volumes of 1.21 trillion A4 prints or equivalent, nearly a 4% increase on the 2018 value of $39.46 billion,
and up 5.5% on 2018 volumes of 1.15 trillion A4 prints or equivalent. The market will continue to increase up to 2024, at an annual average rate
of 4.0% in value to $49.90 billion, and by 5.5% in volume to 1.59 trillion A4 prints or equivalent.
The label industry has been relatively resilient during the Covid-19 pandemic, and although there was a general overall decline in label production
throughout the crisis, many sectors including food, beverage and pharmaceutical saw some growth, particularly in the early months.
What are the key drivers and trends?
Figure 1.2 Global digital package and label printing market by application, 2014–24 Figure 1.3 Penetration of digital print in all printed packaging and label output,
($ billion, constant 2018 prices and exchange rates) 2014–24 (% by value)
Many end-use applications for printed labels are moving to shorter print runs and end-users are looking for greater levels of customisation, which
is driving a growth in the use of digital printing.

Digital printing is now very much mainstream in label printing, gaining market share at the expense of analogue processes in the industry. Both
label converters and brand owners are increasingly recognising its value. Initial drivers of digital print centred on cutting costs for short runs but
as competition drove down costs against other processes, factors such as improved operability, faster response, versioning and variable data
capabilities are now all key to rising demand. Digital developments are making it easier to respond to tightening sustainability regulations, growing
counterfeit issues and shifting consumer preferences.
Although the choice of digital technology is principally determined by the aesthetic and functional requirements of the label end-product, there is
no one-size-fits-all for converters. However, there are areas in which many printers/converters are seeing long term returns on investment in
digital printing equipment, depending on application.
Market drivers for adoption of digital print for packaging
Digitalisation. All print industry stakeholders are responding to the opportunities and
challenges of an increasingly digital age. Consumers want their packaging to be “On average, they'll (run lengths) probably go lower,
interactive and comprehensive in terms of information, which is now possible more for part of our strategy is offer more choice for both our
than ever through digital tools such as QR codes, virtual/augmented reality, real time customers”
video rendering, etc. Brand owners can and want to establish a better connection with
consumers through interactive packaging. Digital printing can also help brand owners
differentiate (allowing real time customisation of individual products) from their Food Brand
competitors and deliver complete digital marketing campaigns. Lastly, further benefits
can be achieved through digitalisation of print, including flexibility, agility/speed and
possibility to print on-demand.
Cost advantages for short runs. Digital printing eliminates prepress and make-ready costs, specifically applicable for shorter runs in the case of
marketing campaigns that offer products with personalised packaging.

Supply chain disruption. The current supply chain is under pressure as

“We’d like to adjust them to our immediate needs. Which would
there are too many stages and players, which translates into higher costs
imply lower order sizes, in general. And as we further widen our
and time. Digital print enables new models in terms of packaging features
product range and number, that will split run numbers” such as personalisation, numbering/coding of the pack (very useful for
pharma) and versioning for variety/region/language. The new supply
chain must meet the need for e-commerce as print on-demand is
Personal Care Brand pressuring lead times and stock holding (for example same-day delivery).
However, disruption in the supply chain will also provide industry players
Food Brand with opportunities to differentiate, innovate and gain market share.
Environmental benefits derived from reduced set-up waste, printing exact quantities on demand and elimination of minimum order quantities,
reduced energy consumption and lower consumables waste
Industry players from paper manufacturers, print technology manufacturers, finishing equipment suppliers, converters, etc. have started
communicating to facilitate the transition from analogue to digital. Some brand owners even adopt digital print for packaging capabilities in-house
and are increasingly trying to solve the challenges of digital printing. This can be seen as a very positive attitude of brand owners towards digital
printing.

2. On Demand Colour Inkjet
End users of labels are faced with a choice of how to balance cost, efficiency, and sustainability in their label printing. Depending on the number
of labels required and the degree of variable data required brands are increasingly likely to consider bringing at least some element of label printing
in house so that they can respond to requirements ‘just in time’ and fulfil orders quickly and accurately. There are several ways to approach this:
Commercially printed label
Thermal transfer printed label
Commercial plus thermal transfer printed label
In-house colour inkjet printed label
Figure 2.1 Sustainability impact of label printing types
Print-on-demand
The print-on-demand philosophy is a form of digital printing in which elements such as text, graphics and images may be changed from one printed
piece to the next without stopping or slowing down the printing process and using information from a database or external file.
Print-on-demand satisfies two basic human macro trends for instant gratification and personalization: ‘I want it unique, and I want it now!’ This
concept even goes beyond hard-copy printing as exemplified by the rapid evolution of e-books, smart devices and instant messaging. To this end,

technology has evolved to enable new processes that can assemble digitized data and print hard copy immediately. With these digital technologies
comes an ability to print variable information that is no longer bound by a traditional fixed data printing plate used for multiple duplication.
On demand colour printing vs thermal transfer printing

On demand colour printing
Colour printing makes messages more memorable. On demand colour printing can easily
provide high-quality, customized colour labels, tickets, and tags in-house, as and when you
need them. From manufacturing and retail to pharmaceutical, healthcare and ticketing,
there is on demand colour printing that can make a real difference by giving you the
flexibility to print the labels.
Thermal transfer printing

Figure 2.2 On demand colour printer
Since its inception in the 1960s, thermal transfer printing has become a
popular form of late stage customization for label printing as it is reliable,
fast and cost effective. However, thermal transfer printing can only
provide a very limited colour range and generates significant additional
waste as the ribbon must be disposed of after use.
Figure 2.3 Supply chain for thermal media (TT, DT, and Ribbons)

What drives the adoption of on demand colour printing?

On demand colour label printers eliminate the traditional problems of thermal overprinting. No more delays, disruption, waste or inconvenience.
No more pre-printed label inventory, production downtime, lost orders, or late shipments. It improved visual identification, efficiency, and
flexibility.
Eliminate label waste Drastically reduce label inventory
In a survey conducted for Epson, 'The Convergence of Storage of label rolls takes valuable warehouse space. On
Sustainability and Productivity in Labels', 69% of demand colour labelling produces a range of high-quality labels
respondents said that they only use 50% of the labels they at the same speed as some incumbent thermal monochrome
order and the rest is disposed of. Avoiding wastage of pre- printers. It can help eliminate the storage costs associated with
printed label stock makes economic and environmental pre-printing by producing short-run, customised labels on-
sense. On demand colour labelling makes it possible to demand.
achieve zero waste of labels due to last-minute design
changes.
Add flexibility
Label users can easily print

Improve efficiency high-quality, customised
colour labels, tickets, and
On demand colour labelling
Drastically
tags in-house, as and when
eliminates wasted searching Eliminate
reduce lable they need them. On demand
for and changing to the label waste
inventory printed labels improve the
correct pre-printed labels.
Add flexibility and respond
For instance, using colour
flexibility quickly to product and
labels within logistics and
process changes.
warehouse environments,
Improve
can increase picking rates and efficiency
improve efficiency.

3. Sustainability trends
The drive for environmental sustainability has had a considerable impact on industrial packaging right across all major industry verticals, from food
and drink to beauty, personal care and health. This has been fuelled by the long-term, rising environmental awareness among consumers who are
placing greater emphasis on product sustainability credentials such as recyclability and carbon neutrality. Today, sustainability is at the top of the
agenda for product campaigns, and manufacturers, retailers, regulators, and experts are working collaboratively to decrease the use of
environmentally harmful materials and to make packaging more easily recyclable.
Increasingly consumer products companies are recognising the sustainability impact of their packaging and focusing on finding ways to reduce the
environmental impact of their product packaging. However, surveys with the market show that many companies have yet to consider the potential
sustainability impact of change to their label printing process and evidence is growing that this impact could be significant. According to the
interviews, sustainability is the least considered criteria when deciding how to print labels. These companies pay more attention to factors that
can be directly assessed such as cost, speed, reliability, and quality. This is not because sustainability isnt important to them, rather this is because
label printing is seen as having low sustainability impact overall.
Ranking of criteria by interviewees

Sustainability was no consideration because labelling is just
a minor part of the entire package (5% vs 95%). We put more
Cost emphasis on making our packaging material sustainable,
Speed rather than putting focus on sustainability in label
production.
Reliability
Quality
Owner, Director,
Sustainability
Spanish Food Brand
0 1 2 3 4 5
Note: average ranking 1-5 with 1 being least important 5 being most important.
Figure 3.1 Ranking of criteria by interviewees

Ranking of printer in term of sustainability

Proportion of printer used by interviewees
Commercial label Inhouse colour inkjet label printer

printer
Commercial plus
thermal transfer label Thermal transfer label printer
printer
Thermal transfer label
Commercial plus thermal transfer label
printer
printer
Inhouse colour inkjet

label printer Commercial label printer
Inhouse laser printer

0 1 2 3 4 5
Note: average ranking 1-5 with 1 being lowest impact 5 being highest impact.
Figure 3.2 Proportion of printer used by interviewees Figure 3.3 Ranking of printer in terms of sustainability by interviewees

However, research by Smithers has shown that changing label printing types can create significant sustainability benefits in 3 key areas: energy
saving, waste reduction and consumables reduction. The usage saving are shown below. The data are estimated based on Smithers’s survey and
analysis.
45 Energy use
40
35
30 Inhouse
25 inkjet
kWh
savings:
20
15 41.19
10 kWh
5
0
Commercially printed Commercial plus thermal Inhouse colour inkjet
label transfer printed label printed label
Figure 3.4 Energy use (p. 1000 sqm of labels)
Obsolescence scrap Ink use

400 9
350 8
300 7
250 Inhouse 6
5 Inhouse
sqm
200 inkjet
kg
4 inkjet
savings:
150 savings:
3
100 360 sqm 2 5.66 kg
50 1
0 0
Commercially printed Commercial plus Inhouse colour inkjet Commercially Commercial plus Inhouse colour
label thermal transfer printed label printed label thermal transfer inkjet printed label
Obsolescence printed label printed label
Scrap Figure 3.6 Ink use (p. 1000 sqm of labels)
Figure 3.5 Obsolescence scrap (p. 1000 sqm of labels)

Commercial
Thermal In-house colour
Commercially plus thermal
Issue Impact Assumptions transfer printed inkjet printed
printed label transfer printed
label label
label
Inkjet is a significantly less energy
intensive process versus commercial
Energy High printing (especially UV flexo) and
marginally less energy intensive than
thermal transfer
Commercial print has scrap rates of up to
11% in set up, make ready and print
errors. Up to 25% of labels ordered from
Waste High
commercial print can be rendered
obsolete by regulatory, product and
market changes
Thermal Transfer ribbon usage generates
Ink /consumables High significant waste that cannot currently be
recycled
While inkjet can create some advantage
in cost & efficiency for the user in
Storage &
Low eliminating storage & transportation,
Transportation
both steps remain necessary elsewhere in
the supply chain
Liners account for the majority of the
60% of waste material generated across
the label industry during manufacturing
and converting. Much of this waste is
produced during product labelling and
Release Liner Medium
one of the industry’s key challenges is to
manage this waste as effectively as
possible, particularly as release liners
have traditionally been unrecyclable
because of their silicone coatings
Figure 3.7 Sustainability impact in 5 key areas

Energy
Commercial print processes are relatively energy intensive with a traditional flexo label printer using around 39 kWh p. 1000 square meters of
labels printed. If that label has variable data printed using thermal transfer the combined energy use is 41 kWh p. 1000 square meters. Inkjet is a
far less energy intensive process and can use just 1% of that energy for the same square meters. If the total addressable market for on demand
labels made the switch this could save enough energy for: over 9 million miles in an electric vehicle or lighting 95,960 homes for a year.
9 million miles in an electric vehicle
Commercial and 28.7 million kWh

thermal print Lighting 95,960 homes for a year
energy savings per year by using
inkjet
Figure 3.8 Energy saving conversion diagram based on total market switching to inkjet
Commercial plus In-house colour inkjet

Commercially Thermal transfer Inhouse colour inkjet In-house colour inkjet
p. 1000 sqm of labels thermal transfer savings for total
printed label printed label printed label savings
printed label market (kWh)
Energy use (kWh) 39.14 2.59 41.72 0.53 41.19 28,698,407

Sustainability impact - -
Figure 3.9 Energy use description table

Waste
According to interviews with industry representatives and analysis based on “With the higher waste ratios we generally see with
interviews with end users, Smithers estimates that up to 11% of label materials are digital, it's a factor, yes. And runs don't always come out
wasted from label stock to final application. This can be as a result of start up and as they're supposed to, with the right mix of versions,
make ready or simply the result of print errors. Both of these can be eliminated by say, which is another factor with it”
switching to on demand colour inkjet.
Furthermore, stock obsolescence is a major driver of waste labels. Due to product

changes, inventory management issues, regulatory requirements and other Commercial Label Printer
considerations brands can be a position of having to dispose of up to half of all their
good labels each year. Our survey showed that label specifiers are getting better at reducing waste and optimising their process to utilise more of
the label stock. However, the problem has not been eliminated and in highly regulatory areas like chemical distribution label obsolescence is a
necessary outcome of frequent legislative changes beyond the user’s control.
Switching to full colour on demand inkjet label printing eliminates this issue as labels can be printed as they are needed, and users can respond to
changes in product, market and regulatory conditions instantaneously. This could save amount of label materials from being wasted, which would
save the user money and eliminate labels from going into the waste stream.
Waste label materials

180 million sqm
in commercial printed
label
25,264 football pitches
label materials saving per year
by using inkjet:
Figure 3.10 Label materials saving conversion diagram based on total market switching to inkjet

In-house colour inkjet

Commercially Thermal transfer In-house colour inkjet savings for total
printed label printed label printed label market (sqm) vs
printed label market (sqm)
commercial
Scrap 11% 0.2% 11.2% 0.2% 10.8% 33,572,646
Obsolescence 25 % >1% 10% >1% 25% 146,815,105
Total - - - - - 180,387,751
Figure 3.11 Waste description table
Ink and Consumables
" Thermal transfer ribbons can be disposed of in a landfill like most One of the key sustainability challenges in thermal transfer printing is
other trash, but with 85% of label industry waste being sent to ribbon usage. For every square meter of label printed, an equivalent square
landfills each year, DNP recommends recycling instead. meter of ribbon is also used regardless of the ink coverage. This can only
Organizations like Convergen Energy and Pellet America convert be used once and cannot easily recycled. DNP, one to the world’s largest
non-recyclables like substrates and TTR into fuel pellets that can manufacturers of thermal transfer ribbons, recommends energy recovery
be used as alternative energy. Many paper, printing, converting, by burning as an alternative to landfill. If the thermal transfer process is
and label companies and DNP partners utilize these services. " used to generate 2 or more colours then 2 more ribbons will need to be
used further adding to the amount of ribbon used.
The disposal of the ribbon is not often considered as part of brands overall
DNP
sustainability footprint. However, if all current thermal transfer printing for
labels were to switch to inkjet the savings could be significant.

109 million sqm of

15,333 football pitches
ribbons saving per year by using
inkjet
619 tonnes of ink saving per 41 buses

year by using inkjet
Figure 3.12 Ribbon and ink saving conversion diagram based on total market switching to inkjet

Commercially Thermal transfer In-house colour inkjet In-house colour inkjet
printed label printed label printed label savings
printed label market
Ink and ribbon use (kg) 1.2 6.9 8.06 2.4 5.66 619,628.5
Ribbon use (sqm) - 1000 1000 - 1000 109,475,000
Figure 3.13 Consumables description table

In most regions, inkjet cartridges can be collected from users through existing collection program so that they can be recycled and reused.
Figure 3.14 Worldwide product and cartridge recycling programs (source Epson)
“Epson has had active recycling programs for many years; our corporate,
manufacturing, distribution, and repair sites maintain ISO 14001
Environmental certifications. The goal of this program is to be a good
community partner, providing products and services in an environmentally
friendly manner. We strive to close the loop so that products can be reused
as much as possible and not be sent to landfills…”
Kevin Carmichael,
Manager, Environmental & Quality Systems Figure 3.15 Cartridges collected (cumulative through fiscal year)

Storage & Transportation
For some label users, storage and transportation are further challenges to “We have one entire house, our “Label-house” where all
manage that create costs and inefficiencies. For example storing large inventories labels are stored. The house is roughly 30x30m and one
of labels across a wide range of SKU’s requires valuable warehousing space and person is full-time responsible for managing it. The house is
creates additional complexities to manage. Indeed there are examples of users always kept cold without heater, if it gets too hot then the
who are printing labels that couldn’t be found in the warehouse, only for them to label glue starts liquifying. This is more applicable for long-
turn up on the next stock check, no longer usable. term stored labels. ”
Similarly, shipping large order volumes of labels can be time consuming and
inefficient, slowing down production and dispatches to customers while labels
are sourced and delivered. On demand labels can be an effective way of Procurement Manager
eliminating this issue and improving speed and responsiveness.
Specialty chemical company
However, for the purpose of this white paper our evaluation was that while there
are real cost and efficiency benefits in storage and transportation for on demand labels, there is no clear sustainability differentiator. If we consider
the value chain from label stock to label application, the same label may be stored and transported in different ways and at different times and
different points in the supply chain depending on the configuration in question but the savings in warehouse square footage or miles travelled are
not materially different, they only alter where in the supply chain they take place and who’s carbon footprint is directly affected.
The same label may be stored and transported in different ways and
at different times and different points in the supply chain depending
on the configuration in question but the savings in warehouse square
footage or miles travelled are not materially different, they only alter
where in the supply chain they take place and who’s carbon footprint
The key advantage of on demand
is directly effected.
labels is the flexibility not the transportation saving.
Figure 3.16 Storage and transportation process

Release liner
Release liner is used as carrier for labels on industrial and consumer goods, "Liner waste is currently an inevitable by-product of the labelling
and fulfils a crucial role in the manufacture, conversion and application of process, but it does not have to be managed using unsustainable
self-adhesive products. Liners account for the majority of the 60% of waste practices that generate large volumes of landfill, or waste that
material generated across the label industry during manufacturing and goes to incineration. The options to source and recycle responsibly
converting. Much of this waste is produced during product labelling and do exist and are becoming more widespread as brands seek more
one of the industry’s key challenges is to manage this waste as effectively sustainable offerings. "
as possible, particularly as release liners have traditionally been
unrecyclable because of their silicone coatings. To remedy this, several
innovative solutions that reduce the environmental footprint of liners in Avery Dennison
label printing have emerged.
The sustainability of liners depends on three main factors: sourcing responsibly, reducing the amount of material used, and establishing recycling
that performs properly under real world circumstances - and so avoids waste going to landfill.
Sourcing responsibly: liner materials should be derived from the supply chain where every stage is certified. Paper certification includes the well-
known Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and PEFC schemes. Other options, such as label facestocks made from grape or sugar cane waste can
also form part of a responsible sourcing mix.
Reducing material consumption: glassine liner use can be reduced to a certain extent. However, the liner is critical to the application and conversion
process. There is a finely tuned existing market where all conversion and application machines are set to existing standards. Another way to reduce
liner material usage is to move from glassine paper to PET. Due to their lower thickness and weight, PET liners enable longer label reels, with more
labels on a roll. Such reels allow reduction of CO2 emissions in transport and enable longer converting and application runs that further reduce
startup and changeover waste, both at the converter and brand owner sites.
Recycling: releases liner cycling offers the potential for the reduction of costs associated with the management of secondary release liner materials,
compared to alternative disposal methods. It also provides a potential answer to present and/or prospective legal or market requirements in the
context of government or corporate environmental sustainability programmers. There are already recycling solutions for PET liner and glassine
liner.

4.0 Case studies
Case study 1 – food and beverage
A C7500G label printer from Epson gives Danish wholesaler

Greens Engros the opportunity to create customised labels
within minutes, saving resources and giving greater
flexibility for product design.
Greens Engros is a Danish catering business and turnkey

supplier of food products to industrial kitchens and restaurants throughout the country. Greens Engros sends
packets and products filled with chopped vegetables, meat products and, of course, freshly squeezed juice to
its many customers every day. Its product labels used to be preordered from an external supplier, but when a
change in the law led to a new form of product declaration, the production process had to be rethought. They
had to throw away their old labels, which was a waste of money and resources. For this reason, Green Engros
purchased their own label printer from Epson which prints the exact number of labels they need. Having the
printer means that Greens Engros no longer has to keep a stock of labels.
Investment in on demand colour Figure 4.1 Colorworks C7500G

"It gives us a fantastic degree of flexibility. We can design a graphic
and print it onto a label within five minutes. It's so easy to use – we label printer has given the business
can create a personalised birthday graphic on the morning of an more than just the means to avoid writing off unusable labels, it also
employee's birthday, print off a label and stick it on their juice when opened up new business opportunities. Greens Engros's customers can
we all have breakfast together" order unique labels, such as when Lars Løkke's running club ordered
specially labelled juices with the club logo on, with the exact number they
needed, to the benefit of Greens Engros and the customer. This is also
Karim Sekkal helpful at Christmas, for example, when special festive labels are printed
for juice bottles, or for trade fairs and conferences, when companies can
Brand Manager order special products for their stands.

Case study 2 – pharmaceutical
Natural GmbH (Roots) is a start-up whose goal is to provide customers a wide range of
“We are glad that we decided on Epson.”
spices from environment friendly cultivation.
Most of the products are sold online, Roots has developed a detailed, eye-catching logo
Patrick Eisermann that is applied to every label on the high-quality containers. In addition to the regulated
information, it can be designed individually. Patrick Eisermann, managing director of the
Managing Director company says: “The label and the packaging are advertising signs for our goods to the
customer. And we have a premium claim to the quality of our products, which is also
applies to the labels."
The labels used to be produced by an outsource print service provider. While the quality was
reasonable, there were also noticeable drawbacks. Their herb products are hand-picked products
in different weights, which must be recorded in labels. They always had to order a certain
minimum quantity of labels otherwise the order would not make sense for the print service
provider. However, it caused a lot of label waste. Also, the transport routes from the print shop
to the roots generated unnecessary CO2. In addition to the quality of the labels and a high degree
of flexibility in their production, a good durability of the labels is also important. some roots spices
stay in the kitchens for months and are exposed to the humid, fatty atmosphere all the time.
Epson Colorworks C6000 offered Roots a perfect

solution. "We were really surprised when we first
saw the on-demand labels," said Eisermann. “The
print quality is extremely high, which is so
important to our design. " Figure 4.2 The labels are durable even in a damp, oily
kitchen atmosphere.

In addition to the high quality and durability, Roots also got benefit from the flexibility. There is no
longer any costly and environmentally harmful overproduction. Thanks to the Epson Colorworks
printer, even last-minute changes to the text or the information on a herb are immediately
considered. Eisermann explained: “we have already generated some additional orders as a result
which would not have been possible at all with an external service provider. " The most important is
that Epson Colorworks C6000 is not only more flexible for Roots, but also more affordable. "We are
very happy that we have chosen this solution," concluded Eisermann.
Figure 4.3 The Epson Colorworks C6000 for root,

more flexible and cheaper solution
Case study 3 – chemicals
Bristol-based Ureka Global Ltd provide adhesives, sealants and bonding solutions and services to manufacturing,
construction and other businesses in the creation of components, structures, safe environments, and innovative products.
“Our game is adhesives and we like to primarily focus on offering our own labels”, says Alex Nunn, Managing Director, Ureka.
“Whether we’re buying unlabelled products or decanting them from larger volumes, the labelling of our own brand is really
important to us. The capability to do our own in-house label printing, and not be governed by manufacturer’s stipulations
is a key added value for us. We’re also pushing contract packaging, so the ability to private label for customers is also another
USP, and when dealing with low numbers of labels it’s important that the quality of the label is just right.”

Ureka’s in-house label printer was providing them with a series of issues that they were keen to remedy.
“The media wasn't right, the ink was expensive and it wasn’t drying properly, but the biggest issue was
the lack of support from the company we were dealing with”, continued Nunn.
Ureka met with label solutions specialist, AM labels, at the PPMA trade show, who took them to the
Epson stand to see the latest line-up of 8-inch label printers, including the Colorworks CW6500. AM
labels followed up with a demo of the printers at Ureka's offices.
Nunn Continued: “We needed an 8-inch colour label printer that provided good quality labels. It became
clear when AM labels provided the Epson demo, that we’d been mis-recommended our original printer
that we had purchased. We tried different types of label stock on the Epson Colorworks CW6500 printer,
including polypropylene labels, which we went for in the end, and the quality of printed label was
significantly better when compared with the incumbent printer. Not to mention, the ink dried
Figure 4.4 Colorworks CWCW-6500
properly and didn’t come off in your hands.
“This all happened a week or two before the lockdown, which helped us meet our revenue targets as we could develop and add labels in-house
to the PPE (personal protective equipment) and hand sanitiser that, through sheer demand, we began selling over the period. Having the
Colorworks label printer, ready in-house, gave us the flexibility to develop labels for our own branded products, as well provide short-run label
requests for our customers.
“The Colorworks has been running pretty much full- “We’ve been really pleased with the Epson Colorworks label printer so far. The ink
time since we got it. We use it so much that we are cartridges are significantly larger than on the incumbent label printers, meaning the
considering buying a second one!” cost of the ink is significantly less, and it performs well with the BarTender label
software we’re using, so the changeover to the new Colorworks printer was easy. It
performs quickly and we’ve had no issues, and the label stock changing and the way
Alex Nunn it feeds into the head is very intuitive and hassle-free. The Colorworks has been
running pretty much full-time since we got it. We use it so much that we are
Managing Director considering buying a second one!

Case study 4 – retail
AKI is a DIY distribution company in Portugal and Spain. They offer products and solutions for DIY,
repair, maintenance and improvement of houses and gardens. Anyone who has visited an AKI store
will have seen the vast amount of information that the stores provide in their signage, not only on the
shelf, but also to provide training and information, which is highly valued by customers.
This labelling was previously generated by a central service, that printed large volumes of labels to
meet the requirements of the 57 stores. But that 'centralised service' required multiple stages and
dedicated staff: printing in large formats, cutting to size, checking each label manually, then stuffing into envelopes and dispatching.
After detecting some inefficiencies in current processes for printing in AKI stores throughout Spain, the Visual Merchandising department of the
DIY and home improvement brand went to work on a project to give the stores more autonomy. The aim was to increase efficiency, reduce costs
and allow stores to be self-sufficient to meet ongoing and regularly changing needs for in-store signage.
Their first aim with the printing system was to reduce the manual work of cutting
“The advantage for the store is that it has full control of
and adapting materials. Epson's Colorworks high-speed roll label printer was the
the process, without relying on central services. Now,
obvious choice. With automatic cutting, it offered exactly what AKI was looking for.
when a member of staff has a specific need, they go to the
As the shelf labels were all one size, the difference was simply a choice of two printer, print a label and stick it on.”
widths. Colorworks made it possible for printing of the labels to be automated and
for each store to have full control of the process. Now, an AKI employee simply
goes to the Colorworks printer, selects the type of label they need from those
Juan José García Grande
offered by central services, prints it and places it in the right location immediately.
Head of Visual Merchandising

For AKI Spain, the use of Epson's Colorworks in each of its stores has brought multiple
advantages. The reduction in cost is substantial, and the process more efficient,
drastically reducing the amount of waste generated from unused labels. The stores
print only what they need, when they need it. Also, with a sticky label containing the
information of the employee who assisted them with their purchase, the customer
can easily contact their sales person.
Figure 4.5 Create merchandising materials and signage with

Colorworks
Case study 5 – warehouse
Renault-Boom is the European distribution centre for the Benelux region. The warehouse measures 17,000
m2 and there is more than 33,000 different products in stock. Their supplies come form France and they
deliver to 330 delivery points every day.
Renault have developed a solution to meet the challenges they faced. They have delivered a new print
solution with full colour, high speed and high-definition printing. The labels are of top quality and the layout
is easily adaptable using the software that they have created.
Quality is extremely important, by adding icons and a barcode to their delivery notes they were able to increase this overall quality. Renault wanted
to optimise and modernize their system and decided to work with Epson. The operator will print the delivery notes by firstly creating a database.
The software then analyses this database and, depending on the fields, they can choose to print certain logos or colours in such a way to catch the
eye, meaning there are far fewer errors. Colorworks C7500 makes it possible. After printing, all labels are scanned to ensure that everything is
printed correctly, which gives them the creativity and the flexibility to grow further.

The printer has been integrated as part of an overall labelling solution to help the "We are already looking forward to the next project!"
company better manage the distribution of over 33,000 products at the
warehouse. Working with Epson’s Colorworks was another positive experience and
they are already looking forward to the next project!
Benny Moons
Coordinator & APW Pilot, CDE P&A
Case study 6 – hospitality
For over 10 years, events specialist key4events has offered a comprehensive range of services to event
managers within the scientific sector. Events include seminars, conferences, trade fairs, and more. As one of
the many services offered during the event life cycle, key4events works to make the arrival of attendees at
seminars, trade fairs and conferences smoother and quicker.
Until now, the solution used for producing visitor passes involved large laser printers hooked up to
computers, and required a lot of space, restricting the design of reception areas. Furthermore, the cost of
transporting this equipment and buying consumables was high.
Key4events organise an average of 150 conferences per year all over Europe,
they needed a universal solution that would be easy to transport and simple to
use for printing visitor passes, forms and labels of different sizes on glossy coated
paper. Compact, light, fast and user-friendly, Epson's Colorworks C3500 was the
ideal solution for printing visitor passes in real time, independently and at a low
cost. An interactive terminal incorporates the Colorworks C3500 printer and a
tablet. Data is centralised so that it can be used on demand for looking up the
attendee's record, updating it in real time, reprinting visitor passes, and so on.
The Colorworks C3500 inkjet printer is a reliable product with highly resistant
pigment inks that dry fast to prevent any risk of dripping during real-time use,
meaning that passes can be kept for a very long time.
Figure 4.6 Trade fair entrance with several Colorworks C3500 terminals Furthermore, unlike with laser printers, 'just-in-time' printing is very useful for
preventing long queues from developing at the entrance to a conference. The

average number of visitor passes printed at a single conference can be up to 1000. In terms of investment, the use of separate pigment ink
cartridges, which can be changed as they run out, reduces the cost of printing thanks to a low cost per label. This is a winning formula compared
to the previous laser solution.
"We wanted to acquire a selfprinting solution for creating visitor

passes and documents at science conferences. With 150
conferences per year all over Europe, we needed an intuitive
solution that would be easy to transport and reliable."
Bruno Ricciardi
Founder and chairman

5.0 Conclusions
Labels are a business critical consideration for

brands in a wide range of sectors. Selecting the
right label printing process can provide significant
commercial advantages in terms of speed to
market, flexibility, and quality all of which can
positively improve the customer experience and
drive sales. As a result, more and more brands are
switching to inhouse inkjet label printing solutions
While brands are aware of the growing need to

consider sustainability in their wider packaging
choices, many have yet to assess the impact of
their label printing. Our research shows that
selecting the right label printing process can make
a significant contribution to a brands sustainability
goals as well as achieving the business objectives
above.
Selecting the right label process can significantly

reduce the overall energy consumption, minimize
waste through reduced scrap and obsolescence and Figure 5.1 Inkjet print resources saving overview
reduce consumable use, in particular ribbon from

thermal transfer but also ink. Optimising supply chains and future innovations in release liners as well as the growing adoption of recycling of ink
cartridges can further enhance the sustainability benefits of switching to inhouse inkjet.

Disclaimer
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believe to be reliable. However, we accept no legal liability of any
kind for the white paper contents, nor any information contained therein nor conclusions drawn by any party from it.
No part of this white paper may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the
prior consent of the Copyright owner
Smithers © 2021
Cleeve Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 7RU, UK
clittle@smithers.com
+44 (0)1372 802114
www.smithers.com

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Sustainability in Label Printing

Prepared for: Epson

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Case study 3 – chemicals ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 28

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Definitions of label printing types

Figure E.1 Definitions of label printing types

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While still a very small part of the label printing market,

✓ Brands that have relatively low label orders p.

In addition to achieving their business objectives,

Figure E.1 Printing process map

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Commercial plus thermal Inhouse colour inkjet printed

Storage & transportation

Legend: negative neutral positive

Figure E.3 Sustainability impact overview of label printing types

- SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

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1. Label printing market and trends

Global label market by print process (million sqm)

Figure 1.1 Global label market by print process (million sqm)

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Current market and future forecast performance

What are the key drivers and trends?

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Market drivers for adoption of digital print for packaging

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Supply chain disruption. The current supply chain is under pressure as

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2. On Demand Colour Inkjet

Commercially printed label

Thermal transfer printed label

Commercial plus thermal transfer printed label

In-house colour inkjet printed label

Legend: negative neutral positive

Figure 2.1 Sustainability impact of label printing types

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On demand colour printing vs thermal transfer printing

Thermal transfer printing

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What drives the adoption of on demand colour printing?

Eliminate label waste Drastically reduce label inventory

Label users can easily print

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Ranking of criteria by interviewees

Figure 3.1 Ranking of criteria by interviewees

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Ranking of printer in term of sustainability

Commercial label Inhouse colour inkjet label printer

Inhouse colour inkjet

Inhouse laser printer

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Figure 3.4 Energy use (p. 1000 sqm of labels)

Obsolescence scrap Ink use

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